Spoiler alert: this blog is published after Game of Thrones airs on HBO in the US on Sundays. Do not read on unless you have watched season four, episode six (which airs in the UK on Sky Atlantic on Monday at 9pm). And, even more than usual, please keep books spoilers to a minimum.

It was philosophy week on Game of Thrones with everyone from Sandor and Arya to Dany and Jorah having existential discussions about life and fate and the choices we make. There were also some surprisingly light-hearted moments, most notably when my favourite new buddy pairing, Brienne and Pod, met up with Hot Pie on their trek through the countryside. In addition to providing a solid audition for the next series of The Great British Bake Off, Hot Pie also managed to let them know Arya was alive and he'd baked her a (new, improved) wolf biscuit. I'd like to think that our intrepid duo might actually now get somewhere, but this is Game of Thrones so an infuriating near miss seems more likely. Still, at least they remained alive for another week, always an achievement in Westeros where it's how you die that really counts. Others were less lucky: in his cell of sadly declining possible champions Tyrion faced death with wisecracks ("I suppose I'll have to kill the Mountain myself and won't that make for a great song") while his would-be executioner warmed up by casually murdering any unfortunate soul within sword reach. Wandering through the war-torn countryside Arya learnt that sometimes death is mercy, best delivered with a sword straight to the heart (and, given Sandor's refusal to treat his wound, that did seem like a rather heavy-handed bit of foreshadowing). Meanwhile up in the Eyrie, Lysa's illusions were brutally stripped away, her exit through the Moon Door as swift and brutal as it was sadly inevitable: Petyr needed the marriage but not the reality of a half-crazed, obsessively clingy wife. As to which parts of his confessions to Sansa and Lysa were true and which were conveniently tailored stories – I think he told Lysa the truth, that he'd only ever loved Cat but lied to Sansa that he helped kill Joffrey for love. Petyr is far too cold-blooded for that. He killed Joffrey because it cemented an alliance with the Tyrells and ensured that he will be well regarded by them. It suited him to spin Sansa a tale of youthful romance: is she still naïve enough to believe him?

'I've come to the perfect place … I will begin with Ser Gregor Clegane. I will be your champion'

With Tyrion shedding champions faster than Margaery Tyrell sheds husbands (an alas from Jaime and its goodbye from Bronn), it was time for Oberyn Martell to step up to the plate. It was hard not to cheer when the Red Viper languidly announced "I will be your champion" (and a tearful Tyrion still mulling over the newly revealed depths of Cersei's hatred clearly agreed), but worth noting that having a champion is only half the battle. Earlier in the episode, Bronn laid out the way to defeat the Mountain ("dance around him until he gets tired") and one presumes that's the route Oberyn will take. Can he succeed? He's certainly Tyrion's best hope, although part of me can't help but think that this, too, plays into wily Tywin's hands: if the Mountain dies, Dorne get justice and it brings closure to an episode that has long stained the Lannister's reputation. If Oberyn dies, it rids the Lannisters of an inconvenient frenemy in circumstances where it would be hard for them to be blamed – 'He chose to fight, he was consumed by revenge'. As for Tyrion, he'll need to be on his guard even if Oberyn does win – Cersei doesn't strike me as someone who's going to give up easily.

'It's tempting to see your enemies as evil, all of them, but there's good and evil on both sides in every war ever fought'

There were several good two-handers this week from Melisandre's tense conversation with Selyse with its terrible hints of an Iphigenia-style sacrifice to come to Sandor's quietly horrible childhood revelations, but the week's most-revealing conversation was that between Jorah and Dany. In contrast to Daario Naharis whose (admittedly quite successful) philosophy of life apparently boils down to: pick wildflowers; scramble through window to woman and present her with flowers; tell women you only like to fight and fornicate; fornicate then head off to fight, Jorah does apparently have some grasp of strategy. By reminding Dany that the world is filled with compromises and missteps, with poor choices made and later righted, Jorah convinced her to at least offer the masters of Yunkai a choice, evoking poor dead Ned Stark in the process. One of the most interesting things about Game of Thrones is the way in which it constantly reminds us that while Ned was honourable, he wasn't always right. He would have killed Jorah for being a slaver yet that belief in just punishment and an eye for an eye denies any concept of redemption. By contrast, Jorah is not necessarily honourable but, like that other morally grey character Jaime Lannister, he is capable of doing good. Of course there's no guarantee that Daario, a man with a liking for severed heads, will actually listen to the Khaleesi's new orders but, hey, at least Jorah tried.

Additional Thoughts

• If I do have a complaint about an otherwise very involving episode, it's that they're not making enough of the scenes at the Wall. Jon and co. are about to face the biggest battle of their lives and, while it's believable that the rest of the Night's Watch aren't listening, we the audience should feel more tension and fear.

• Wonderful performance from Tara Fitzgerald as Selyse. Her hunger for Melisandre is shot through with desire and I loved the contrast between her starved frame and the lush opulence of Carice van Houten's glowing Melisandre.

Jaime and Tyrion's relationship remains my favourite on the show. I loved the dark humour of their exchange: "Even if you die, imagine the look on father's face when you fall: our family name snuffed out with a single swing of the sword." "It's tempting."

• Great scene between Tyrion and the swiftly moving-up-in-the-world Bronn as well with Bronn first reminding Tyrion of the unequal nature of their friendship , and then admitting (quite reasonably) that, while he liked him, he liked his own life more. Oh Bronn, I wish you all the best in your crooked path, although I fear for the safety of your new sister-in-law.

When the dust has settled on Westeros, when the battles have been fought and the victories won, I expect Petyr Baelish to publish A Little Book of Portentous Sayings. I shall be severely disappointed if this doesn't occur.

• Of course Daario's preferred method of entry is through a window. If he had a car, you just know he'd still be exiting through the windows, Dukes of Hazzard style.

Violence count

One demonstration of the Mountain's pre-fight warm-up technique, one dying man mercifully dispatched by Sandor and a swift goodbye to Biter and Rouge, stabbed by an angry Hound and a fast-learning Arya respectively. One unfortunate backhander from Sansa to Little Lord Robert and the untimely death of Lysa Arryn, who became the second person to be defenestrated in a show I recap this year.

Nudity count

One attempt by Daario Naharis to redress the male-to-female nudity ratio on Game of Thrones and one Red Priestess enjoying a clearly very relaxing although sadly not Lord of Light-ordained bath.

Random Irishman of the Week

If you're going to have an existential discussion about life, death and fate then there's no better man to have it with than Irish actor and Samuel Beckett specialist Barry McGovern, who cameoed as a dying man and part-time philosopher helped on his way by Sandor in a rare act of human kindness.

Finally, there is no episode next week because it's a holiday weekend in the US.

So what did you think? Do they need to turn the tension up at the Wall? Will Brienne and Pod find one or both Stark girls? And if a Viper faces a Mountain, whose screams are heard first? As ever, all speculation and no spoilers are welcome below …